Unfortunately, the positives are too few and far between. The film’s first act is lacklustre, with sluggish pacing and scattered humour that struggles to engage the audience. Aishwarya’s portrayal comes across as one-note and, at times, unintentionally hammy. The emotional connection between Stephy and her mother’s spirit, which should be the heart of the story, is underdeveloped. We never learn how the mother died, why her spirit is so powerful, or why the sinister occult group is after her. These unanswered questions make the plot feel incomplete and leave little reason to care about the stakes. This year’s Bollywood blockbuster Street 2 featured a mother’s spirit with a better emotional arc. Here, Stephy’s mother is reduced to an overbearing presence with no identity beyond her obsessive control over her daughter’s life. The film misses an opportunity to explore this dynamic with nuance, opting instead for contrived ideas.
While the comedy occasionally works, the horror is a complete letdown. The scares, if any, are predictable and generic. The third act, which introduces a ludicrous exorcism sequence involving the occult group, derails any potential the story had. The antagonist, Ashabha (a mundane Sunny Hinduja), and the hooded occultists feel like caricatures, and their motives remain frustratingly vague. Bindu Panicker’s narration of the occult group’s history falls flat, lacking the gravitas and intrigue that similar sequences, such as KPAC Lalitha’s chilling monologues in Manichithrathazhuonce delivered.
Technically, Hello Mummy is a neat effort. The sound design is effective in amplifying the supernatural moments, while the background score, though functional, does little to elevate the experience. The songs are forgettable and only serve to pad the already bloated runtime. Clocking in at 135 minutes, the film overstays its welcome. With tighter editing and a more focused script, Hello Mummy could have been a somewhat fun 90-minute entertainer. Instead, it drags on, with redundant sequences, especially with the scenes involving Aju Varghese, and an overblown climax that sacrifices coherence for spectacle. While the ending teases a sequel, the idea of revisiting this world feels more like a threat than a promise.
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